Hunter's Fiancé

Alex's POV

"Some decisions, once made, unleash a torrent you can't control."

My own words echoed in my head, hollow and brittle. "Hunter," I'd said, the words tasting like ash on my tongue, "I think you should marry again. I'm not enough for you." The confession had been delivered with a disturbing calm, a calmness that masked the turmoil churning within. Did I love him? The question lingered, unanswered, a ghost in my own heart.

His reply had been swift, decisive. "Alright. There's a businessman eager to marry off his daughter. I'll marry her."

Jealousy, the emotion I expected to be a raging inferno, flickered only as a faint ember. And two days later, the embers threatened to ignite something far more dangerous.

The murmur of voices drew me from my self-imposed exile, pulling me downstairs. The sight that greeted me stole the air from my lungs. Hunter stood in the living room, radiating an easy charm beside her.

Long, black curls cascaded around a face that could launch a thousand ships. Foxy grey eyes, framed by impossibly long lashes, danced with an intelligence that both intrigued and intimidated. Dressed in a flowing black gown that hinted at the curves beneath, she was breathtaking. My heart stuttered, a frantic, erratic rhythm.

A strange sense of familiarity tugged at the edge of my awareness. Had I seen her before? Where?

Hunter turned, his gaze settling on me. "Alex, this is Ava, my fiancée. Ava, this is Alex, my wife."

Ava's gaze turned to me, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I feel like I know you from somewhere... but where?"

The puzzle pieces clicked into place. St. Angel Hospital. Her face, etched with concern and a quiet strength, had been impossible to forget.

"We met at St. Angel Hospital," I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips, unbidden. Heat flooded my cheeks as I added, "And I have to say, you're absolutely stunning." I couldn't meet Hunter's eyes, shame and something else – something unfamiliar and unsettling – burning within me.

Ava's smile widened, a genuine expression that reached her eyes. "Thank you, Alex, but I think you're even prettier. And cuter." Her gaze lingered, sending a jolt through me, making my face burn even hotter.

A third voice, booming and jovial, interrupted the charged silence. "Well, I can certainly see a spark between you two! This could be a perfect match for us all."

Could it? The possibility hung in the air, heavy with unspoken desires and dangerous potential. Maybe it was.